The present invention relates to a vessel occluding instrument and, more particularly, to such an instrument which is provided with a cohesive-adhesive pad which acts collectively with the fibrous surface of an anatomical vessel to produce an adherent relationship therewith.
Atraumatic instruments for occluding blood vessels during arterial reconstructive surgery have been used for many years. The ideal instrument should provide not only occlusive forces on the vessel, but also sufficient traction to facilitate the surgical procedure. Since vessels come in various dimensions and with different physical conditions, the ideal occluding instrument should be capable of readily adjusting to these variables. For example, the occluding portions of the instrument should be capable of deforming readily to accommodate the irregular shapes of atherosclerotic plaques which are attached to the interior surfaces of vessels. This deformation capability also permits the occluding instrument to clamp over indwelling catheters which are used for dilatation, irrigation, aspiration and infusion of vessels during reconstructive procedures. Moreover, the ideal occluding instrument should be not only easy to apply and remove from vessels, but also sufficiently small in size as to not obstruct the operative field.
The prior art devices of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,880,166 and 3,993,076 are designed for the gentle occluding of anatomical vessels during surgery. While these patents have similarities to certain embodiments of the present invention, they do not embody cohesive-adhesive pads of the type with which the present invention is concerned. The device of aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 677,561 embodies such a pad, but is not removable, or designed for use with jaw-type occluding instruments.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,503,396, 3,503,397 and 3,503,398 all disclose jaw-type atraumatic surgical clamps with replaceable cushioned inserts which are designed to gently and effectively clamp an anatomical vessel. These cushions, however, are not of a cohesive-adhesive character which acts collectively with the fibrous surface of the vessel to produce an adherence relationship therewith.